Hawkshead has 3 pubs within a stones throw of each other, dotted around the market square, and this is certainly the pick of the bunch. A true local boozer through and through, this place attracts the tourists by day (this is Beatrix Potter's village after all) and the locals by night. We were welcomed to the bar by the landlord and a great choice of local ales, including the recent award-winning Loweswater Gold, all of which were excellently kept. There's plenty of traditional bar snacks and the smells emanating from the restaurant were enough to get the saliva glands going. There's not a great deal of seating so expect to do your drinking standing up, but there's some big bench tables out front and the locals are all friendly enough to share a table. This place also does rooms, should you be interested. Being the Lakes, it's a little pricey at £90 a room (or thereabouts) including breakfast but it's worth it for sure. They'll even give you a car-park pass for the night to save you the extortionate tourist trap prices of the nearby council car park. Overall, this place gives you that warm, welcome feeling the moment you step throught he door. We hope to be back one day.